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Religion Program

Students completing a major with a concentration in religion will do course work in all three of the following sequences: biblical studies, reflective studies and history of religions. Depending on the courses they select, they will master certain information and skills. All students who concentrate in religion will study at least one non-western religion. In addition, all will take a 400-level capstone seminar during their senior year that will provide them extensive opportunity for research, critical and creative thought, and oral and written expression.

Biblical Studies
• The range of methods used in a nonsectarian, academic approach to the Bible.
• The ability to apply them to a given text.
• The ability to research and critique the major issues and theories within biblical studies.

Reflective Studies
• Knowledge of major movements in western religions, ethical and social thought.
• The theories, concepts and terms associated with these movements.
• Knowledge of the central ideas of selected western religious and ethical thinkers.
• The ability to evaluate the movements, ideas, theories and concepts comparatively and critically.

History of Religions
• Knowledge of the thought, practices and cultural foundations of major religious traditions such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism.
• The ability to represent, compare and enter into dialogue with dimensions of these religious traditions from a nonsectarian perspective.

Course of Study in Religion

Religion Major: 33 Credit Hours

* Choose one introductory religion course:
    GREL 101. Religions of the World
    GHUM 102. God, Meaning and Morality

* Choose one philosophy course
    (GPHL 101, Introduction to Philosophy, recommended)

* Choose two courses at the 200 or 300 level in each of these three areas (18 hours).

Biblical Studies
    REL 201. Introduction to Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
    REL 202. New Testament
    REL 231-232/HEBR 231-232. Intermediate Biblical Hebrew
    REL 337/ANTH 337. Archaeology and the Bible
    REL 338. The Culture of Israel (4 credits)
 

Reflective Studies
    REL 270. Religious Ethics
    REL 322/SOC 322. Sociology of Religion
    PHIL 330. Moral Theory
    REL 350. Philosophy of Religion
    REL 360. History of Western Religious Thought
    REL 375/PHIL 375. The 19th Century: Age of Ideology
    REL 380. Contemporary Theologies
 

History of Religions
    REL 310. Religions of India
    REL 312. Religions of East Asia
    REL 315. Women and Religion
    REL 320. Judaism
    REL 325. Modern Catholicism
    REL 330. African and African-American Religion
    REL 370. Mysticism
    REL 385/PHIL 385. Buddhist Thought
    REL 475. Inter-religious Dialogue
 

* Choose one capstone seminar
    REL 450. Religion and Society
    REL 475. Inter-religious Dialogue

* Other requirements
All religion majors must take at least one course in a non-Western religion (REL 310. Religions India, REL 312. Religions of East Asia or REL 385/PHIL 385. Buddhist Thought). This may be taken as the course in the history of religions sequence or as an elective. In addition, GHUM 102 or GPHL 101 can double-count with the GenEd program.

* Choose one introductory religion course:
    GREL 101. Religions of the World
    GHUM 102. God, Meaning and Morality

* Choose one course at the 200 or 300 level from each of these three areas—Biblical Studies, Reflective Studies, and History of Religions (nine credit hours)

* Choose two electives
      one must be at the 300 or 400 level (six credit hours)

All religion minors must take at least one course in a non-Western religion (REL 310, REL 312 or REL
385/PHIL 385). This may be taken as the course in the history of religions sequence or as an elective.

Interdisciplinary Religion Concentration

This option is designed for students who want to concentrate in religion, but also wish to integrate their work in religion with work in another, complementary disciplinary area. The total credit hours are 36. A student electing this option will fulfill the requirements for the regular concentration in religion, with one change: he or she will select 12 credits from one or more disciplinary areas chosen in conference with the adviser and will use them in place of the nine credits of religious electives required for the concentration in religion. If a student chooses philosophy as the second disciplinary area, the student should substitute one course in any of the three sequences for the one philosophy course required for other religion majors.